


Just this Once (Let me take the Fall)

by reiwata



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M, Takes place during conquest, spoilers for birthright and revelation routes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:51:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6551794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reiwata/pseuds/reiwata
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo sees visions of alternate worlds--alternate versions of him, of his family, worlds where different choices were made--when he sleeps. Leo’s tired of seeing others fall while he continues on, carrying the burden of living. When he has the opportunity to save someone that he shouldn’t even care about in this world, he takes it. Just this once, he wants the world to let him take the fall.</p>
<p>Contains spoilers for all routes!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just this Once (Let me take the Fall)

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't actually played Conquest so there's probably a lot of inconsistencies with canon BUT OH WELL

 

_ A sick feeling settled in Leo’s stomach. “What do you mean, Elise and Xander are dead?” The possibility that his brother would fall, being too stubborn to listen to Kamui, had always been in the back of his mind, but Elise? “What happened?” He demanded, panic and anger growing, “What did you do Kamui?  _ What did you do _?” _

 

_ Kamui’s eyes started to fill with tears. “She… she ran out in front of me, trying to stop Xander… She gave her life to try to get him to see the truth, but even then he wouldn’t stop… I-I had to… I’m so sorry.” _

 

_ “Get out.” The pure anger and hatred in Leo’s voice was enough to have Kamui scurrying on his way, leaving the prince on his own. _

 

Leo groaned as he sat up in his bed. Another one of those awful dreams. He reminded himself as he got up, that they were only dreams. There was no way such a thing could ever come to pass, Kamui would never betray his true family. Kamui had chosen Nohr over Hoshido, and he always would. And yet… the worlds in Leo’s dreams in which Kamui had chosen Hoshido, or refused to choose, seemed so real. He wouldn’t let it get to him though. Not today.

 

The war was nearly won. Once their father sat on that Hoshidan throne, everything would be fine… Sure he acted strange now, but that was nothing more than the stress of the war, right? Soon there would be nothing to worry about, so he should be glad, and not focused on some ridiculous fantasy his head had come up with.

 

It still was distracting.

 

“Milord! Does the darkness of sleep still hold you in it’s tight grasp? Pray hurry and rise, or else risk a lack of nourishment by missing your most important feast of the morning!” A muffled voice called to him from the other side of his door. Leo figured it must be Odin, as no other spoke so… strangely. To have his retainers coming to fetch him, when it was usually the other way around when it came to Odin, meant that Leo really must have gotten distracted thinking on that dream.

 

“You need not wait for me Odin, I’m on my way.” the Nohrian prince called out to his retainer. He heard footsteps hesitantly move away from his room, which he was quite thankful for. Only once before had he let his dreams really get to him like this, not too long ago. It had been the night after they had defeated Prince Takumi, only to have him escape rather than be captured, and Leo had dreamed of that same prince. He was embarrassed to even think about that dream again. Looking into the other prince’s beautiful eyes, Takumi saying things like,  _ ‘But, Prince Leo, I think that we should not end this bond with mere friendship.’ _ Such a thing would never be possible anyway, and the thought of it would be laughable, if it weren’t so embarrassing.

 

Making his way to the mess hall, Odin waved to Leo as soon as he entered. Realizing it was unavoidable, he sat next to his overly enthusiastic retainer after getting something to eat. “Milord, it seems though you sit beside me, your spirit is not here! Pray tell where your mind resides in this moment?” Leo merely rolled his eyes and continued eating. “Feeling that poorly, huh?” Odin muttered. Leo disliked making his retainer worry, but had no energy to deal with Odin’s theatrics. “Worry not, milord. Today the war ends, and your father takes the throne in Hoshido! Soon there will be naught to worry about.”

 

“Today already…” Leo sighed. He was glad everything was set to end today, but a feeling of apprehension had settled in his chest. Something in him saying that Garon taking the throne would be not the end, but the beginning of something entirely different.  _ It’s just my mind playing tricks on me _ , he told himself,  _ yet again. _ Yet the feeling wouldn’t leave him.

 

Never once did he imagine, however, that said feeling would be right, until the moment his father actually sat on the throne. Seeing him, seeming to melt, crown slipping down his molten head. “How could--” Leo started to say, but the words caught in his mouth.

 

“So... you’ve seen my true form…” his father (could he even still call him that?) growled. Glancing at Xander the two realized they would have to kill him. His father was so far gone. Yet, after the dream he’d had last night, he couldn’t help feeling regretful, having to end the life of someone who was once his family. Leo hated seeing people die, yet he saw it all the time. Often it was at his father’s orders, and Leo would do it himself. Other times it was in his dreams. Now it was of his own volition, to end the monster who was once his father. He truly hated it.

 

And, just as his gut feeling told him, the horrors didn’t end there. No, of course they didn’t. Right when everything seemed to be over, the empty king defeated, who would show up, but Prince Takumi. It wasn’t really Prince Takumi though. Just as Leo had suspected the last time, the man was possessed, his only desire--to kill Kamui.

 

“ _ Betrayal... betrayal... I am betrayal!!! _ ” the possessed prince called out as he shot at Kamui.

 

Leo’s mind began racing, trying to devise a strategy to save the prince.  _ I know he can be saved from his possession… there must be a way. I won’t let another fall today! _ “If only there was some way the possession could be weakened.” Leo thought out loud.

 

“Perhaps I could be of help. My song, it may weaken it enough.” Azura spoke, having been listening in. “But what do you plan to do?”

 

“You truly think we could save him?” The way Kamui’s eyes lit up while saying that told Leo this was the right choice. Kamui truly cared for the other prince, the same way Kamui cared about Leo.

 

“I’m certain.” Leo said with a nod. “It’s possible that the possession, if weakened, could be transferred to another.”

 

“You don’t mean to take it on yourself?” Azura asked.

 

“I do. Knowing what I’m getting into, I’ll be better able to fight it.”

 

“You can’t! Brother!” Kamui replied, “I don’t want to lose you either.”

 

"I promise, you won’t lose me.” Leo replied. It was a lie, he had no idea how well he’d be able to fight it, but he would do his best. “Can you begin devising a plan to get me to him?”

 

“I trust you.” Kamui said uncertainly. “I’ll do my best.” Kamui left the two to discuss their end of the plan.

 

“You shouldn’t lie to your brother.” Azura spoke when they were alone.

 

Leo sighed. “Was I really that see through?”

 

“I’m sure Kamui believed you at least.”

 

“Well, if the worst happens, please ensure that no one else is hurt. Just this once, please let me take the fall. I can’t let even more people die while I stand by.”

 

“I understand,” Azura answered. “As much as I dislike it… If it comes to that, I will not hesitate.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

When their plan was ready, and they could hold off the fighting no more, Leo steeled himself for what he would have to do. Azura began singing, while Leo, paired with a wyvern rider, began making his way toward the possessed prince.

 

“ _ GAAAAHHH!! Wh-what is…that song…?! My power is…fading… But why? WHY?! _ ”

 

_ Now’s my chance, _ Leo thought, as the wyvern rider moved in. “As soon as I get off, get as far from us as possible.” He whispered in the rider’s ear. Hopefully the prince would focus on Leo rather than attacking the wyvern rider, who would fall easily to his bow. 

 

“ _ YoU… pRINce LEoo… I must… KilL KILL… BeTRAY. _ ”

 

“I won’t let you fall…” The words they once exchanged in his dream echoed in the back of his head.

 

_ “From this point on, please take care of me, Prince Takumi.” _

 

_ “I trust you'll do the same, Prince Leo.” _

 

_ “I promise.” _

 

Was it really a dream? Leo didn’t care, he wanted to uphold that promise, something deep in him truly feeling that bond stronger than friendship that Takumi had spoke of in that dream. “I won’t fail you. Just this once…” Grabbing onto the prince’s arm, Leo began performing the spell that would transfer the possession to him. Takumi stabbed him manually with one of his arrows, too close to shoot them, but the stinging pain began to fade behind growing anger and purple filling his vision.  _ I mustn’t give in to my anger… _ Leo thought, doing his best to resist. “Prince… Takumi…” Through the purple haze, Leo could see Prince Takumi’s expression begin to change. “Run…” was all Leo could force out as he focused on trying to fight the possession, now that it was his own.

 

“Brother?” Leo could hear Kamui’s voice from a distance, distorted, and all that ran through Leo’s mind was all the times the Xander praised Kamui while ignoring Leo’s accomplishments, all the times Camilla doted on Kamui and barely noticed Leo.

 

_ No! I have to fight it! _ Leo thought, but already, his body was moving of it’s own volition. “ _ IgNORed… uNLoVedd… ALwaYS sECoNd BEsT… _ ” Leo heard his own voice, ashamed to realize those were his own thoughts. Still, he kept trying to resist. “ _ I’ll KiLL… I mUsT… _ ” Suddenly an arrow pierced him. And another. And another. A peaceful smile graced Leo’s face as he fell, three glowing arrows in his chest. It was the Fujin Yumi, it was Takumi who ended it. After a moment, Takumi appeared over Leo. “I’m… sorry… for all the trouble… we’ve caused you.”

 

“You just saved me, and you’re apologizing? What a strange person you are.” Takumi answered, glaring at Leo as he died.

 

The scene from before played in Leo’s head once more. “From…” Leo began to speak, “this point... on, please... take care of me… Prince Takumi.”

 

The other’s eyes widened in recognition. “I… I trust you'll do the same, Prince Leo.” he answered, a tear rolling down his face.

 

Leo smiled as his eyes fluttered shut. “I kept my promise.”

 

“No, Prince Leo! If you remember too then… you can’t leave me now!” Takumi shouted, but Leo could barely hear it as it all faded away. “Prince Leo! Leo!!”

 

Leo awoke in unfamiliar surroundings. Prince Ryoma put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, for saving my brother, Prince Leo.”

 

Garon, appearing much younger than Leo ever remembered seeing him, held out his hand to Leo. “I’m proud of you, son. And I am so, so sorry.” Leo’s eyes began to fill with tears as he took his father’s hand. He was at peace.


End file.
